The Fall of Rome was a large series of battles fought between the Skaven Under Empire, and the Human Roman Empire over the city of Rome. The Fall of Rome would be followed shortly after by the Genoa Crisis where the Kingdom of Ravenna sparked invasion into the Roman Empire attacking the province of Genoa which eventually became independant becoming the first of the northern provinces to break the yoke of Rome leading to the Northern Roman Revolt.

The Fall of Rome could be viewed as the end of the Roman Empire as following the conflict nearly the entire north of Italy declared open rebellion, and 1/3 of the legions defected alongside the death of the sitting emperor and the massacre of the senate this would be a catastrophic blow that would all but end the Roman Empire in its continent power, and bring it more into line as a regional power.

Contents

Background

Prelude

“Something is moving in Rome my friend. I need you to push the rocks around and see what the hell is going on underneath.”

— Lucius Vorenus

Lucius Vorenus having come to terms with the corruption of Rome went to his friend Gaius Glabo of whom he tasked with starting an investigation into the corruption of the city and to find out who was at the top of the ladder. Gaius begins his investigation of the corruption of the Roman Senators, and in his first meeting with the Senator Cnaeus Galerius after he threatens the Senator's life he is told by Gnaeus of a Roman order known as the Order of Jupiter of which is in near complete control of the Senate and is preparing a massive attack on Rome of which Cnaeus prepares to reveal what the plot is but is killed by an arrow which pierces the window and strikes him in the neck. Gaius sends his men to find the perpetrator but remains and tries to get some last information from Cnaeus but all he gets is the word rat. Gaius realizing that he has come upon something terrible commands the arrest of several senators of whom Cnaeus had implicated but using their political influence they have Gaius ejected from the city by the Emperor Nero despite Gaius having been sanctioned by both his Legate, and Lucius Vorenus. Returning to the city after two weeks of being ejected after Lucius discovers what had happened he is unable to bring the Senators he needs to him as they have all fled the city using numerous but logical excuses why they had to leave, and concerned by what this means for the city and the completion of the plot Gaius goes to the Imperial Palace to see Lucius but before he can he is confronted in the streets by two Skaven of whom taunt him and his men into chasing them into an abandoned building.

Sacking of Rome

“Your Grace. I have news from Italy. Rome has been sacked. Ratmen in their thousands are said to have came from beneath. The city is lost. Rome has fallen.”

— Page to the Queen of Ravenna

The sacking of Rome would be an event planned years previous to the actual sacking as the Skaven under the leadership of Kritot of Fester Spike of whom held control of Fester Spike which was the name for the Skaven nest beneath Rome, of whom worked alongside the Order of Jupiter. The Order of Jupiter was a Roman Cult like group led by Aemilia Silvia of whom was a Numenorian of whom had lost her mind following an imprisonment in a cell beneath Rome for almost two hundred years, before she was found by a Roman who saved her but was killed in response. Following this Aemilia took on a Roman persona and begin gathering to her a group of loyal men using her physical beauty and her madness induced charisma of whom all followed her in a belief of her cult of death which she preached for the destruction of humanity to her closest members as a means of reaching heaven. Aemilia would be contacted during this time of growth for her death cult by the Chaos Titan Voteus of whom menipulated Aemilia into taking a magical item from him known as the Ring of Voteus and this ring allowed her powers to bleed from the Fade giving her increased abilities in magi while outside of the Fade. Using these new expanded abilities it was Voteus who pushed her into the path of the Skaven Warlord Kritot of Fester Keep and with the ring powering her she was able to get Kritot under her spell leading him to become her faithful servent. Kritot wanted to grow himself in influence hoping to return to the Undercity a victorious conqueror of the great human city of Rome, so to do this he would join forces with Sutage the Corrupted a powerful Warlord of Clan Mordkin and together the two would plan to burn Rome carrying off all the treasures of the city to bring before the Undercity. While there planning was in place there was an increasing level of failure on the part of the Romans as the Emperor Nero withdrew into the Palantine Palace where he put on elaborate plays while the Roman Empire fell apart. As the situation deterioated to the point that the Roman Legions stationed in Rome moved out of the city holding positions in forts around the city the Skaven would move forward to attack the city now only occupied by Legio II Roma of whom was a full strength legion but spread over the entire city with their main forces at Capitoline Hill.

“Your Grace. I have news from Italy. Rome has been sacked. Ratmen in their thousands are said to have came from beneath. The city is lost. Rome has fallen.”

— Page to the Queen of Ravenna

Lucius Vorenus is standing in the Senate where he listens to the Senators continue to fail at doing anything, and as he ponders the words of advice of his friend Titus in that he should destroy the Senate and take control himself in the name of the Emperor he is interupted by a messenger of whom says that a great fire has started in town. Leaving the Senate he travels into the street and as he and his men move towards where they see smoke they are attacked by Skaven of whom overwhelm and kill most of his men and stab him in his gut dealing him a terrible wound. Moving forward he links up with surrounded Legionares and fights off a large Skaven force and then fights with these men and more he gathers along the way to the Legionare Barack's where his wife is. Reaching the Barracks he finds the entire place has been put to the sword and his family either dead or not present.